In My World
by Twilightheart12343
Summary: It's been Six years since Chihiro and Haku parted ways. Chihiro's parents don't believe her about the spirit world or Haku. When Haku comes back to Chihiro for good, how will her parents react, and how will he react to the strangeness of Chihiro's world?


Ruby sparkles danced off the faded brown wood of the old deck, cast by a jeweled hair tie that was being wound around light hands. The threads were still in place even after all these years, proof in its magical origin, and in the evening sun, it shone as beautifully as ever. Long brown hair was blown in the gentle breeze, as a young girl watched the sun set.

Chihiro Ogino sat at her picnic table and watched the sun disappear in anticipation. Every night she watched the sun set, and every night, she watched the old red amusement park clock tower, waiting for something to happen. She could just see the building from her porch, and she waited tonight, just like she had every night before.

Her brown hair had grown out as the years had passed, and she had grown as well. She was a good height for a girl her age, and had become nicely developed as well. Her eyes became sad as the last rays of the sun faded, and with a soft sigh, she headed back into her house.

'_It's been six years'_ She thought,_ 'Just how long will you make me wait Haku?'_

Every day after her amazing adventure to the spirit world, she had waited for Haku to keep his promise to her. At first she had been excited and would wait for hours at a time for him, but as the years had gone by, she became less and less animated about her waiting sessions. When he had made the promise that they would meet again, she had expected to wait a few weeks. Even a few months really, but she never expected to wait for six years. She unwound the hair tie from her fingers to replace it in her hair.

As she got to the bottom of her stairs, her mother and father threw confetti at her, covering her in even more sparkles, these ones loose and messy.

"Happy birthday Chihiro!" Her mother shouted. Placing an obnoxiously pink, plastic tiara on her head. The swirled silver writing spelled out "sweet sixteen" and her father flashed a camera in her face. Even though she didn't like it, she didn't complain. This was just her parents and they were excited for her sixteenth birthday. She only wished she could say the same about herself.

"How's my little princess?" Her father asked, a big smile on his face, "Are you excited to finally be turning sixteen?"

"Yea dad, of course I am." She plasted a fake smile on her face and hugged him. She would be happy today, even if she didn't want to be, for them.

"I'm glad to see you're changed, your friends will be here any minute." Her mother smiled and turned to walk into the kitchen. Her mother had bought her a new sun dress for her to wear to her party; it was after all the middle of summer.

"So," Her father smiled and turned to her out of the corner of his eye as they walked to the living room, "Still no news from your mysterious dragon boyfriend, hugh?" He was joking of course, and it made Chihiro angry. She had tried to convince her parents about the spirit world and them turning into pigs and most especially, and regretfully, about Haku, and as any parent would, they chalked her story up to her wild imagination. She had explained everything that had happened to them as they drove the rest of the way to their new home and tried to get them to understand, but they wouldn't have anything to do with spirits and curses and especially magical river dragon spirits. So Chihiro ignored her father and answered the door when the doorbell sounded.

Her closest friends from her school came over at her mother's request. She hadn't wanted a party herself, but her mother wouldn't have it. The useless party went by in a blur and soon she was sitting with her parents at their kitchen table. They had always saved the cake for her birthday until late at night when everyone had left. It was a tradition of sorts.

"Ok Chihiro!" Her mother encouraged, "Blow out those candles! Make a good wish!"

'_Well _that_ was a useless statement_' Chihiro thought, '_She knows that I make the same wish every year'_ she leaned in to blow out the candles anyway though. '_I'll always make the same wish' _She thought, '_I'll never stop wishing. And someday it will come true.' _She smiled, '_He would never break his promise.' _Chihiro took a big breath, and was about to make her wish when the candles went out on their own.

Chihiro blinked, "Hugh?"

"Oh I'm sorry sweetie," Her mother answered her. "I forgot I left the window open. Darling, would you relight Chihiro's candles while I shut the window?" She got up to close it as her father relight the candles.

"That's strange. I thought it was supposed to be nice out tonight." Her father stood behind her mother and looked outside. "It looks like it might storm though…"

No later had he finished his sentence when he and her mother were thrown off their feet as a huge gust of wind threw open the patio doors. Chihiro threw up her arms to protect herself from the wind.

Her father helped her mother to her feet and they stood next to Chihiro's chair. "What is this?!" her mother yelled, "a hurricane?!"

'_No it can't be…' _Chihiro thought and she stood up. A loud thump sounded outside. '_I know this wind…" _She gasped, '_is it?!-'. _She ran for the patio doors that led to the backyard and she heard her parents calling after her to stop. She didn't listen, even when they rushed to follow her. If this is what she thought (and hoped) it was, then they needed to see this too.

She got outside and almost fainted in joy until she heard her parents come up behind her and grab her arms.

"Chihiro what are you doing we have to get-". Her mother started only to stop as the vicious wind suddenly ended, "-inside?"

"Chihiro, what's wrong?" Her father asked when she didn't respond. "What are you looking-". His words were lost in his throat as he looked up; her mother had already been struck silent, because there, standing in her normal looking backyard, was a magnificent white dragon.

Chihiro suddenly jumped out of her shocked state. Tears swelled in her eyes and she ran towards the dragon. "Haku!" she yelled, and hugged the creature around the snout, much like she had when he had appeared at Granny Zanieba's, ignoring her parents' pleas for her to stay away from the 'dangerous animal'. Haku leaned into her hug, and she pressed her fore-head to his scaly one. "Is this really you?" She asked, "Are you really here, or am I dreaming again?" The dragon seemed to smile and the scales of his body suddenly shed themselves with the sound of shattered glass. Although it further amazed her parents, Chihiro held on and laughed when instead of scales, she touched warm skin and cloth. She heard her parents gasp behind her and she pulled out of the embrace just enough to see the face she had wished to see for the last six years.

"It is you!" Chihiro laughed, "Your really here!" She pressed her face into his shirt and hugged him even tighter.

She heard him laugh lightly and he spoke: "I did promise you, didn't I?" _'His voice is deeper than I remember'_ she thought, and she looked at his face, _'In fact,'_ She thought,_ 'a lot of things about him have changed'_ She looked at his face and took in the changes that had happened throughout the six years they had been apart. His face had lost some of the baby fat there and had thinned out. He had also let his hair grow out to just past his shoulders instead of where it used to be at the end of his chin. He still wore the old fashioned robes that he had worn in the bathhouse yet the still seemed to fit him perfectly, despite the definite few inches he had grown. She had been so lost in his sudden appearance that she had forgotten all about her parents until Haku looked over her shoulder.

"Oh right!" Chihiro turned out of his embrace and back to her parents. "Mom! Dad!" She grabbed Haku's hand and dragged him over to her still shell-shocked parents. "Mom, Dad, _this,_" She gestured to Haku, "Is Haku, the spirit of the Kohaku River that helped me in the Spirit World." Her father was the first to snap out of his shocked state and he stepped up to the two teenagers and looked at Haku.

"So," He smiled shakily, "You're the famous Haku we've heard so much about. I must admit though, I didn't believe you really existed." He laughed, "Forget existed, I didn't believe you were actually a dragon!" He held out his shaky hand for Haku to shake. "It's nice to finally meet the boy who saved us." Her mother walked over to where they were all standing.

"So all that stuff that Chihiro told us, her story," She looked between Chihiro, Haku and her husband, "It was all real?" Chihiro enthusiastically nodded.

"Yea Mom! Haku helped me get Yubaba to turn you back into humans when she turned you into pigs after you ate the food of the spirits. He helped us all those years…-" 'All_ those years ago'_ Chihiro thought. '_That's right!' _ She suddenly turned to Haku letting go of his hand to point at him angrily. Haku held his hands up to his chest in defense from the young girl. "What took you so long?!" She screeched. Haku's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to respond when Chihiro cut him off again. "Do you _know_ how long it's _been_?! Six years Haku, Six years! What were you doing?"

Haku smiled and put his hands down. "Well after you left I went and talked to Yubaba, after I quit being her apprentice, Yubaba was fired for being so greedy and cruel and you'll never guess who I convinced to take over!" He smiled, "Lin is the head mistress of the bathhouse now! She does a much better job than Yubaba in most of the workers opinions." He looked down, "It only took about two months in my world, but as you can see, our time flows differently, and it is quicker in your world. I came back as soon as I could, and I know it had been a long time for you." He looked up again, smiling. "But I knew you would be older and I adjusted my human form to be your own age. I am sorry it took so long though. I am very happy to see you again."

Chihiro smiled and turned to her father, "So dad, can Haku stay with us? Please?"

Her father looked thoughtful, and then smiled. "Anyone who has done this much for my daughter and my family is welcome here anytime." He spoke to Chihiro directly then, ignoring Haku completely. "You will be responsible for him though. You need to teach him what to do in this world. He can't just appear as a dragon everywhere, people would ask questions…"

"Don't worry Dad, I will!" Chihiro assured her father.

Haku however, had totally been forgotten. '_Responsible for me?' _He thought. '_What am I? A dog?'_ But of course, being the dignified spirit he was, he didn't point out his discomfort. He smiled however, when Chihiro turned to him and smiled. "Come on Haku!" She said, "I'll show you around the house and then the neighborhood and my school and…." Her voice got quieter and quieter and faded away as she led Haku into their home, leaving her parents alone in the yard.

Chihiro's mother watched her daughter lead the river spirit into the house and once they were gone, she turned to her husband. "Are you sure that this will be alright?" She asked, "Having the Kohaku River Spirit in our home?" Her husband turned to her worried.

"Why?" he asked, "Do you think he's dangerous?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, no. Of course not. I just… This is…." She was at a loss for words.

"Different." Her husband finished for her and she nodded. He turned back towards the house. "I don't think so." He smiled and looked at his wife. "It's an adventure."


End file.
